Head for clamshell buckets



Feb. 6, 1940. E. HARRINGTON HEAD FOR CLAMSHELL BUCKETS Filed Aug. 24,1938 INVENTOR Edward L.Harring fon Z L Patented'Feh- G, 1940 p I I e IPATENT Q ICE 2,189,065. HEAD FOR CLAMSHELL BUCKETS Edward It.Harrington, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Blav'w-Knox Company,Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of New'Jcrsey u i Application-August 24,1938, SerialNo. 226,496 y I tola ms (Gigi- 83),] 1 l u s This inventionrelates to a head-assembly for in Fi 11 such as would beseen by lookingfrom clamshellbuckets' and the-like provided'with a the right in thelatter; and i,

holding lineor cable anda' closing-line or cable v Fig. 3 is a planview( s by'which the bucket, when held in fixed posi- Referring now indetail to the drawing, the '5 tion' by the'holding line, m'ay be openedorclosed head assembly of my invention includes a main to pick up ordischarge material. casting l which is a box-like structure having 'It"has been the practice heretofore in conendwalls H and l2and side wallsl3and l4. structing buckets of this type to provide guide A 'pin -l5;isjournaled transversely in the casting rollers toprotect theclosing linefrom wear by and is adapted to be engaged by an eye (not,

chafing in the. event that the bucket is tilted shown) to which theholding line or cable is sidewise on being loweredbnto a pile-f matesecured. x x ri al to pick u'p'a load therefrom. These guide The buckethalves -(not shown) are secured to rollers also protect the closing linein case of corner barsIB, and l'|.- The bars I 6 are secured endwise?tipping of the bucket. The arrange- -to pIates IB-"W hich are in turnsecured'to the 1 'ment of guide rollers used heretofore is satissidewalls l3 and I4 of the casting l0 as by factory for such .workashandling material from rivets, bolts *or the like. "A hinge pin l9extends stockpiles or open deck barges. When such through eyes formed atthe upper ;ends of the buckets are used, for unloading material fromcorner bars I-Tand also through the plates l8 aships hold, however, itis found that the preand provides-a hinge bearing for the cornerviousari'angement of guide-rollers does not.prebars 16: Y Sheaves 20 arejournaled on the pin 2 ventchafing of the closing line. This appearsl9'between the eyes of the corner bars l6. Coopto be the result of thefact that the bucket is crating sheaves -2lyare journaled on a shaft 22.tipped'endwise in one direction or'the other as The shaft 22 1ssupported in suitable bearings it is lowered onto the material. iWhilethere is 23 :secured to lever arms 24 pivoted together at 35 little orno tendency for the buckettotilt side- 25., While the invention hasvbeen illustrated in 25 wise, because of the concavity formed in the topconnection with a lever arm type of bucket, it of the pile by theremovalof material substana will be'understood that it is'also applicable totially from the center thereof, there isa decided buckets .of othertypes. i

tendency for the bucket to tip endwise as it The closing lineas'indicated at 26 is reeved' 30 almost invariably lands on the slopingsides of about the sheaves 20 and 2| and is dead-ended 30 thedepression. pi I in a socket 21 formed in the'main casting l0,

I-have invented a novel form of head assem- The closing line 26extendsupwardly from one 'bly' for buckets intended for use in suchappliof the sheaves 20 between guide rollers 28 jourcations as thatmentioned above where endwise naled in'theend walls H and I2 of thecasting a tipping of the bucket is practically inevitable, l0. 7 A shownin.- Figs .=1 and 2, the guide rollers with little-or no sidewisetipping as the bucket 28 are so mounted in the casting I0. that their islowered. In apreferred form of the 'invenaxes lie in a plane inclined tothe horizontal-when tion, I provide a head casting having elongated thebucket is closed and suspended in normal guide rollers journaled thereinin such :manner position. The rollers 28 are substantially tanb thattheiraxes lie in a plane at anangle to gent to the sheaves 20 whenviewed in elevation 40 the horizontal when the bucket is suspended. andare long enough to extend on both sides of I- also provide a pluralityof auxiliary guide the point of tangency. The angular position ofrollers journaled in the casting in verticall the rollers permits themto function as desired spaced relationin such position that they arewithoutbeing e v ypsn and 30 adapted to be engaged by-the closing linewhen a formed in the end'walls II nd [2 to receive the latter'emerges atan angle to its normal po-, e Closing line On i t ng of the bucketendwise sition because of endwise tipping ofrthe bucket. to an extentsuch that theclosing line assumes The inventionwill be described ingreater dethe position indicated in dottedlines at 3| relatail byreference to the accompanying drawing tive to the casting Hi. It will beunderstood,

drawing: u and that, the bucket tips endwisethrough the.

Fig. 11s a side elevation of the upper portion angle indicated by thedotted line position 3| of a clamshell bucket, with parts omitted for ofthe closing line. On tipping in the other diclearness; rection, theclosing line may assume the posi- Fig. 2 is an end view of the structureshown 'tion shown in dotted line at 32 relative to the 55 illustrating apreferred embodiment. In the of course, that the closing line is alwaysvertical cally spaced relation and in such position as to hold of aship, because of the concavejde pi'es-'-* 'sion formed in the top of themass .as,,.jmate.-l v

w l journaled' in. said casting for confining said line,

said .rollers being, substantially tangent "to said i 33 prevent theformation of sharp bends in the posite direction so that-the relative"position of be engaged'by the closing line 26 on tilting of the bucketsuch that the closing line moves to the position indicated at 3!relative to the head assembly. The use of a plurality of rollers 33 alsoaids inobtaining the desired operation .with-' out making the rollers 28of greater length.

As already stated, the bucket is subjectedto endwise tippingcontinuously when unloading,

material from a walled chamber such as. the

rial is removed therefrom.

It will be observed by reference to that" when the head assembly tiltsto the leftso that the relative position of the closingline isthatindicated at 3!, there is relatively little oppor tunity for chafing ofthe closing line since it crosses the rollers 28 substantiallyat:rightangles thereto. At the same-timethe au'xiliaryirollers cable:and "thus further protect it from excessive wear. .Whenth'e bucket tipsendwis'eiinthe opthe closing line is that indicated at 32, it will'beobserved that'the closing line is protectedagainstunclesirablezchafing' by thefa ctthat it 30 l so that the flangesthereof have theeffect of v centering the cable b-etween'the rollers 28.The radiusof the sheave, furthermore, is such that wrapsaround thesheave20 to agre'aterexten't the formation of sharp bends'and the like isprecluded.

As shown, the pin I 5 to which the'hold line is secured; islaterallyspaced from the pivot pin I 9. This permits endwise tilting ofthe-bucket to a considerable angle before the closin' glline 26- engagesthe lip 30; The angle of permissible tilting is thus not limited byengagement of the line 2 I with the bold line anchorage as in formerconstructions.

The-principal advantage of the construction described and illustratedherein is the avoidance of the chafing of theclosing line on the'guideas previously constructed? By avoiding sharp bends and chafing'oftheli'ne on the guide-rollers, excessive wear is" eliminated and' theli-fe of the cable considerably extended. The serious-' ness of theproblem 'which is overcome by the item ofexpense which is largelyobviated by the present invention.

' Instead ofusing rollers- 28 to guide the closing line, I- may form.rounded guiding edges integral with the casting Ill and dispense withthe rollers.

Although I have illustrated and described but" one-preferred embodimentof the invention, it

;will--'be 'appreciated that changes therein may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appendedclaims.

I claim: 11 A head for a clamshellbucket comprising a"main*casting,corner bars hinged on acomthe closing line. last. departs, from; onbeing mon pin, means supporting the pin on the cast ing, a closing linereeved about sheaves journaled on said pin, guide rollers so journaledon said casting that their axes are at a substantial angle to thehorizontal when'the bucket is closed and suspended, and an anchorage fora holding line; said anchorage and the greater portion of. 7

said rollersbeingon oppositesidesof said pin. 2. Ahead-for a-clamshellbucket" comprising a main casting, corner. bars to which'the buckethalves are secured, a hinge. pinv on.which the corner bars arepivoted,'-a closing .iline reeved;

about sheavesffon the pin and 'on a relatively movable part,,ofthebucket, and guide rollers sheaves in side elevation, extending onboth sides their, axes are inclined at a substantial angle to thehorizontal when the bucket is closed and suspendedz" l i 31A head for"a: ,clamshellbucketcomprisinga v main casting,'-"icorner bars; to which;the bucket halves are; secured, hinge :pin" on which the corner barsare' pivoted,ia, closing line reeve'd- 25 about sheaves journaled-onsaidepin, andi'zguide rollers so journaled onsaid castingthattheiraxesare-"at a substantial angle to the horizontal when the-bucket isclosed and-suspended, the I rollers being.- substantially. tangenti to:said sheaves in .side elevation-,9{extending :onboth sides. ofzithepointof'tangency and having: their; r

lower'ends on that side of said sheaves which taken in. 1

4.1 A head. for an:openable:lifting bucket'com;

prising 'a casting; means thereon whereby-the bucket 'mayubesuspended-"corner bars secured to .thebucket halves-and hingedona commonpivot pin sheaves on-said pin, and. a; guide throat above saidpinytheved'gesiof said throat being substantially tangentto said sheavesirrsidecelee; vation, extending on I both sides of the; point. oftangency'.and-"inclined at a substantial angle to the horizontal"whenri'the bucket is closed and 1 suspended, whereby/to: confinexaclosing line rollers su'ch'as-has been experienced in'buckets j r eved'about id sheave an x n n te Wardlyi thr'ough'said throat, saidsuspending & means :"and the greater portion of .said throat beingfonopposite sides of saidpin; 5. Ahead for a clamshell bucket comprising amain'ca'sting, corner bars to which the bucket halves are 'secured,ahinge. pin on'rwhich the? corner bars are pivoted, a closing line reevedabout sheaves on the pin and on a relatively movable part of the bucket,guide rollers 'o ur-'- naled in said casting-for confining saidline;said rollersbeing substantially tangent to said sheaves insideelevation, extending on both sides of the; point of tangency andso'disposed that their axes are inclined at a substantial angle to thehorizontal when thebucketis closedand suspended, andwaplurality ofhorizontal guide rollers 'journaled said casting in vertically spacedrelation b elow tlie lower 'ends'of saidfirstmentioned rollers andadapted to-beengaged by the-closing line ontipping of the bucket insuchdirection that the line tends' to depart from one of said sheaveswhich it normally engages.

I EDWARD L. HARRINGTONQ;

